Stay up-to-date with the latest entertainment news from around the world. Get exclusive insights into celebrity gossip, red carpet events, movie premieres, music releases, and more.Stream TV Online Read more at: https://hotdog.com/tv/stream/
OLIVIA Attwood and pal Pete Wicks reunited for the Brit Awards on Saturday night.
The reality TV icons were seen arriving at their table together, having earlier left a Manchester hotel to head to the venue.
Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter
Thank you!
Olivia Attwood put on a leggy display on the Brit Awards red carpetCredit: GettyShe reunited with Pete Wicks inside the ceremonyCredit: Ellie Henman/The SunPete looked sharp in a white jacket and shirtCredit: PA
Olivia showed off her incredible figure after earlier “paying tax” at the gym with a sweaty workout to get red carpet ready.
She rocked an asymmetrical black dress with a dramatic fan cut out shape across the chest and back.
The stunning gown also had thigh high split and Olivia completed the look with sheer black gloves.
Once inside the venue, Olivia and Pete reunited with Pete’s podcast co-host Sam Thompson, where an onlooker said, “Pete was a gent and poured the drinks for the group before they settled down to their meal.”
While in conversation with TikTok sensation Tinx on the latest episode of her podcast, Olivia’s House, the Love Island icon made reference to her own relationships while discussing dating.
After Tinx said she’s happy in life but would like to meet someone, Olivia responded: “And that’s like the best place you could be in to meeting the right person. There’s not like a void to fill.
“If you’re going into relationships and there’s motivations of, you know, say you have a gap in your life or you need saving, it doesn’t start on a healthy trajectory.”
Olivia previously described Pete as her twin flameCredit: Rex
As It Was singer and former One Direction star Harry Styles took to the stage to open the Brit Awards 2026 live from Manchester on Saturday, with fans admitting they were ‘shaking’
20:44, 28 Feb 2026Updated 20:45, 28 Feb 2026
As It Was singer and former One Direction star Harry Styles took to the stage to open the Brit Awards 2026(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
It’s safe to say Harry Styles impressed fans with his performance at the Brit Awards.
The As It Was and Sign of the Times singer, and former One Direction star, opened the live ceremony on ITV1 and ITVX on Saturday night. He performed his new track Aperture after recently announcing the release of his fourth album would be very soon.
Marking his return to music, the singer took to the stage to kick things off, the performance no doubt gave fans a peak of what to expect with his upcoming world tour. Amid a backlash from many viewers about the prices of his tour tickets, Harry won over viewers with his vocals and choreography.
In fact, fans claimed they were “shaking” and “going to be sick” after watching it live. Taking to social media, one fan said: “Wish I could be normal but unfortunately I’m literally shaking over Harry Styles performing at the Brits.” Another said: “I AM SHAKING,” as a third added: “I’M GONNA BE SICK.”
Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as your Preferred Source in your Google search settings.
A fourth fan said: “HE IS A PERFORMER,” as a fifth said: “HARRY IS SO BACK THAT WAS INSANE.” A further post read: “Harry sounds GOOD. Aperture live is such a vibe.”
Another fan commented: “OMG DID HE HAVE TEARS IN HIS EYES!?? HARRY STYLES IS SO BACK.” A final tweet read: “Ok Harry actually ate that choreo.”
It was revealed the awards would take place in a new home on Saturday night, at the Co-op Live in Manchester. Artists revealed to be performing included Olivia Dean, Wolf Alice, EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI, the singing voices of HUNTR/X (filmed in advance of The BRIT Awards).
Alex Warren, Mark Ronson, ROSALÍA, SOMBR and RAYE were also confirmed. Mark was also revealed to be receiving an award for his outstanding contribution to music, while Noel Gallagher was said to be receiving a songwriting award.
Speaking of honours, it had also been revealed that tributes would be made to some of the lost music acts who have recently passed away. Ozzy Osbourne is set to be honoured with Robbie Williams fronting a super group paying tribute to the star. It comes seven months after the Black Sabbath frontman died aged 76.
The performance will be a special arrangement of ‘No More Tears’ – the title track from Ozzy’s multi-million selling 1991 album of the same name. It was curated by Ozzy’s wife, Sharon Osbourne, and will boast a phenomenal line up of British and international musical talent.
It will feature musicians that played as part of Ozzy’s band over the years, including Adam Wakeman, Robert Trujillo , Tommy Clufetos and Zakk Wylde. The makeshift group will be fronted by Robbie, who was invited personally by Sharon to be part of this special moment.
BRIT Awards bosses are also set to honour Stone Roses bassist Mani at Saturday night’s show – led by Charlatans legend Tim Burgess. Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield died suddenly aged 63 last November, and close pal Tim will be on hand to deliver an emotional speech.
A source said: “Tim is set to present the In Memoriam section, but before he does so, he is primed to talk about Mani who was both a dear friend and mentor. The fact that Mani was from Manchester too – and the awards is being held there for the first time – means it will be a really special moment. Mani will then feature heavily in the section, as will other greats we have lost including Ozzy Osbourne.”
Ahead of the ceremony, three acts had received the most nominations. They were Olivia Dean and Lola Young with five nominations apiece, and Sam Fender trailing closely on four nominations following his Mercury Prize success.
What sounded like a very cool L.A. Art Week party ended up getting a bit too rowdy. On Sunday night the Los Angeles Police Department was called to a former 99 Cents Only store on Wilshire Boulevard where an opening night party was underway for a week-long pop-up called “99CENT,” organized by former tagger and blue-chip artist Barry McGee and presented with the Hole gallery.
An LAPD public information officer confirmed that officers responded to a disturbance call at the location, which is just down the street from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Academy Museum, at 10:30 p.m. Sunday. Police arrived to find “a large group of about 20 or 30 people, drinking and playing loud music.” The crowd dispersed on its own after law enforcement arrived.
Neighbor Rebekka Mueller, who lives across the parking lot from the store, said that a concert at the event had attracted hundreds of people, a number of whom took to tagging four or five neighboring businesses, including the now-closed historic Googie-style Johnie’s Coffee Shop.
The event drew plenty of respectful art fans, Mueller said, “but attracted lots of other people, and they started tagging the whole building — but not in an art way. And then it spilled over to the businesses nearby, to an insurance company, and then two apartment buildings were completely tagged … and they had no security on site when this happened. So this was very alarming for the neighborhood.”
Cole Schiffer, whose family owns the 99 Cents building, said he was sorry that neighbors’ structures were tagged and that he has been working all week to paint over the tagging.
“We didn’t know that this would happen. I was pretty naive about the graphic art world,” he said. “We’re business owners, we spend a lot of time removing graffiti. My mom grew up in this neighborhood. My grandparents lived and died here, so honestly, it’s a little sad and crazy to see this graffiti all over the neighborhood.”
Schiffer said things had calmed down after Sunday night and that the Hole gallery was working to avoid problems for the rest of the week’s festivities.
In a brief story about the event, Times freelancer Mariella Rudi noted that the 99 Cents store had been transformed into, “a dense, joyous artist flea market” featuring, “more than 200 contributors and well over 4,000 works.” When Rudi was there on Sunday night she said she didn’t see any destructive behavior.
“Paintings are stacked against old shelving. Shopping carts hang from the ceiling. You can even check out your purchases at the register, complete with a sticker and a receipt,” Rudi wrote, adding, “Graffiti-heavy aisles will thrill fans of Beyond the Streets, but a handwritten sign near the entrance offers a final note: ‘Please, no tagging inside. Owners are cool.’ ”
The pop-up will feature puppets from Bob Baker Marionette Theatre this Sunday, as well as an Anti-Fascist Zine Fair. This whole scene is right up my alley, and I say, “Yes, please,” to more edgy arts programming featuring outsider artists and youthful rebellion.
But it seems a minority of guests decided to dishonor the spirit of the event by disrespecting the boundaries put into place by organizers.
Even neighbors who complained, like Mueller, said they were big supporters of the arts and that a lot of great art was on display inside the store — they wished the situation had played out differently, and they hope Sunday night’s grand finale proves more in control.
Mueller said that although organizers had painted over many of the tags, the situation at Johnie’s had not yet been remedied.
I’m Times Arts editor Jessica Gelt, and I’m here for all the colorful underground fun — and the angry dissent that often comes with it — but none of the destruction of property.
You’re reading Essential Arts
The week ahead: A curated calendar
FRIDAY All My Sons Oánh Nguyễn directs Antaeus Theatre Company’s production of Arthur Miller’s 1946 Tony-winning play about a Midwestern family facing a moral reckoning after World War II. Through March 30. Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center, 110 E. Broadway, Glendale. antaeus.org
Detail of a photo by Lou Bopp, seen in the documentary “All the Empty Rooms.”
(Netflix)
All the Empty Rooms Photos memorializing the bedrooms of children lost to school shootings captured by photographer Lou Bopp and reporter Steve Hartman and featured in the Oscar-nominated documentary short film directed by Joshua Seftel, are on display at an outdoor installation. Through Monday, Sunset Triangle Plaza, 3700 Sunset Blvd.
And What of the Children? Writer-director Ryan Lisman’s play blends drama, dark comedy and horror in a psychological thriller about a trio of siblings in the Witness Protection Program. Through March 15. The Broadwater Black Box, 6322 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles. events.humanitix.com
Front and Center: Emerging Artists with the Colburn Orchestra Salonen Fellows Mert Yalniz and Aleksandra Melaniuk will lead a varied program of concerto works spotlighting up-and-coming soloists. The performance will be live streamed. 7 p.m. Friday. Zipper Hall, 200 S. Grand. Ave., downtown L.A. colburnschool.edu
John Giorno in Andy Warhol’s “Sleep.”
(Andy Warhol/John Giorno Collection, John Giorno Archives. Studio Rondinone, New York, NY.)
Sleep John Giorno, the subject of the exhibition “John Giorno: No Nostalgia,” stars in Andy Warhol’s 1964 five hours and 21-minute silent film. Free with a reservation. 5-10:30 p.m. Friday. Marciano Art Foundation, 4357 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. marcianoartfoundation.org
SATURDAY
John Holiday in the title role of LA Opera’s 2026 production of “Akhnaten.”
(Cory Weaver)
Akhnatan John Holiday stars in L.A. Opera’s production of Philip Glass’ portrait of the Egyptian pharaoh, sung in in English, Ancient Egyptian, Biblical Hebrew and Akkadian. Directed by Phelim McDermott and conducted by Dalia Stasevska making her company debut. Through March 21, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laopera.org
Attacca Quartet and Theo Bleckmann The versatile Grammy-winning ensemble teams with vocalist Bleckmann on David Lang’s “note to a friend,” a chamber opera based on three reimagined texts by Japanese writer Ryunosuke Akutagawa. 8 p.m. UCLA Nimoy Theater, 1262 Westwood Blvd. cap.ucla.edu
From Strand to Sculpture A self-guided tour of the Japanese bamboo basketry exhibition will be followed by a lecture from bamboo art expert Robert Coffland, founder of TAI Gallery (now TAI Modern) in Santa Fe, N.M., and now president of the Santa Fe gallery Textile Arts Inc. The lecture is also available via Zoom. 4-7 p.m. Saturday. The Gamble House is located at 4 Westmoreland Place, Pasadena. gamblehouse.org
The Price Richard Fancy, Dana Dewes, Jason Huber and Scott G. Jackson star in Arthur Miller’s late-period drama about two brother’s cleaning out their late father’s New York brownstone. Through April 5. Pacific Resident Theatre, 703 Venice Blvd. pacificresidenttheatre.org
Pepe Romero Returns The classical guitarist joins the Long Beach Symphony for a concert featuring ”Concierto de Aranjuez” by Joaquín Rodrigo, Gabriela Lena Frank’s “Elegia Andina” and movements from Handel’s “Water Music Suites.” 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Long Beach Terrace Theater, 300 E. Ocean Blvd. longbeachsymphony.org
Bud Cort in the 1971 movie “Harold and Maude,” screening March 15 at the Aero.
(CBS via Getty Images)
Starring Bud Cort The American Cinematheque salutes the singular character actor, who recently died at 77, with screenings of Robert Altman’s “Brewster McCloud” (1970), Wes Anderson’s “The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou” (2004) and Hal Ashby’s“Harold and Maude” (1971). “Brewster McCloud”, 2 p.m. Saturday in 35mm. Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd.; “The Life Aquatic”, 3 p.m. March 14; “Harold and Maude,” 1 p.m. March 15 in 35 mm. Aero Theatre, 1328 Montana Ave., Santa Monica. americancinematheque.com
SUNDAY Unassisted Residency Every edition of erstwhile weatherman Fritz Coleman’s monthly comedy show features a special guest. 3 p.m. Sunday. El Portal Theatre, Monroe Forum, 5269 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood. elportaltheatre.com
TUESDAY Camerata Pacifica The ensemble performs a program that includes Madeleine Dring’s “Trio for Flute, Oboe and Piano,” the world premiere of David Brice’s “Natural Light,” Cécile Chaminade’s “Thème varié for Piano, Op. 89” and Antonín Dvořák’s “Quintet in A major for Piano and Strings, Op. 81,” arranged by David Jolley. 3 p.m. Sunday. Bank of America Performing Arts Center, Janet and Ray Scherr Forum, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks; 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. The Huntington, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino; 8 p.m., Thursday. Zipper Hall, 200 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A.; 7 p.m. Friday. Music Academy of the West, 1070 Fairway Road, Santa Barbara. cameratapacifica.org
WEDNESDAY
Sara Porkalob, playwright and performer of “Dragon Mama.”
(Corey Olsen)
Dragon Mama Writer-performer Sara Porkalob returns in Part II of her Filipina American “gangster” family’s intergenerational saga, “The Dragon Cycle,” this time centering her mother’s journey. Directed by Andrew Russell Through April 12. Geffen Playhouse, 10886 Le Conte Avenue, Westwood. geffenplayhouse.org
THURSDAY The Adding Machine The Actors’ Gang performs Elmer Rice’s 1923 satire that provides a prophetic warning from the past for our present. Through April 18. The Actors; Gang, 9070 Venice Blvd., Culver City. theactorsgang.com
Dante and Beethoven’s Sixth Gustavo Dudamel conducts the L.A. Phil in Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68 – Pastoral” and Thomas Adès’ “Inferno – Part 1.” 8 p.m. Thursday; 11 a.m. Friday; and 2 p.m. Sunday. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laphil.com
Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company A remounting of the historic dance theater work “Still/Here,” created by Jones 30 years in the midst of the AIDS epidemic from interviews with terminally patients which he called “survival workshops.” 8 p.m. UCLA Royce Hall, 340 Royce Drive, Westwood. cap.ucla.edu
Arts anywhere
New releases of arts-related media.
Clockwise from top left, artists Candice Lin, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Tomás Saraceno and Ragnar Kjartansson from “Art in the Twenty-First Century.”
(Art21, Inc.)
Art in the Twenty-First Century Museums are fantastic, but do you ever want to know what’s going on right now in the art world? Since it debuted in 2001, this video series has focused on contemporary art and artists and has been a mainstay of public broadcasting. The second episode of the 12th season (they’re released biannually) debuted Feb. 11 and profiles four international artists, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Ragnar Kjartansson, Candice Lin and Tomás Saraceno, who use ordinary materials to make extraordinary art. Of local note, Crosby and Lin both live and work in L.A., and the Huntington in San Marino makes an appearance as well. Watch at art21.org, YouTube and pbs.org.
(Princeton University Press)
Michelangelo & Titian It may not have been a heated rivalry, but author William E. Wallace makes the case that the two great Renaissance artists drove each other to excel in a new dual biography subtitled “A Tale of Rivalry and Genius.” Princeton University Press: 248 pp., $35. press.princeton.edu
Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama competes in the figure skating men’s singles free skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics on February 13 in Milan, Italy.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Turandot: Christopher Tin Finale The two-time Grammy-winning composer completed Giacomo Puccini’s famously unfinished final opera for this EP recorded at London’s Abbey Road Studios with an all-star cast. You may even have heard it during Japanese figure skater Yuma Kagiyama’s free skate program at the recent Winter Olympic Games in Milan (Kagiyama won silver for the second time). Not only was Milan Puccini’s hometown, but the Games coincided with the 100th-anniversary of the premiere of the opera at Teatro La Scala. Tin Works: $12-30. Available on vinyl, CD, digital download and streaming platforms.christophertin.com
— Kevin Crust
Culture news and the SoCal scene
Frieze Los Angeles returned to the Santa Monica Airport on Feb. 26.
(Casey Kelbaugh / Courtesy of Frieze and CKA)
Art Week is here, and L.A. is overflowing with guests, artists and dealers from around the world as the city stages a wide variety of fairs, exhibitions, dinners and other arts events. The Times put together a handy guide to all the fairs you need to see, including Frieze, Butter LA and the Other Art Fair.
Freelancer Jane Horowitz wrote an in-depth piece about Frieze’s “Body & Soul,” a public art program of eight installations designed to reach beyond traditional art fair audiences. The story gives information about site-specific installations and the artists behind them, including Patrick Martinez. Amanda Ross Ho and Kelly Wall.
Kara Walker, “Unmanned Drone,” 2024, bronze
(Ruben Diaz)
Earlier this week, MOCA announced it had acquired 158 works by 106 artists in 2025 and that it had acquired the centerpiece of its current blockbuster “Monuments” exhibit: “Unmanned Drone,” by artist Kara Walker. “Walker created the 13-foot-tall bronze sculpture out of a statue of the prominent Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson that was originally in Charlottesville, Va. The statue had been removed after serving as a significant gathering place for the infamous 2017 Unite the Right rally of white supremacists,” I wrote in a story about the acquisition.
Our major investigation into L.A. arts icon Judy Baca also published this week, featuring allegations by 10 former employees, including two managers, that Baca used her nonprofit arts center, SPARC, to benefit her private, for-profit art practice, Judy Baca Inc. They also alleged Baca personally benefited from a $5-million Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant to expand her most famous work, a community-driven effort known as “The Great Wall of Los Angeles.”
Alexander Hurt, left, Katie Holmes and Charlie Barnett in “Hedda Gabler.”
(Rich Soublet II)
Times theater critic Charles McNulty headed to San Diego’s Old Globe to catch Katie Holmes in a new take on Henrik Ibsen’s “Hedda Gabler” written by Erin Cressida Wilson “that compresses the action and sharpens the language to a razor’s edge.”
“Beethoven’s ‘Missa Solemnis’ is a grand mass for large orchestra, chorus and four vocal soloists that lasts around 80 minutes,” writes Times classical music critic Mark Swed in his review of Gustavo Dudamel and the L.A. Phil’s performance of the challenging piece. “It was written near the end of Beethoven’s life and is his most ambitious work musically and spiritually.” The concert at Disney Hall was part of Dudamel’s “month-long L.A. Phil focus on Beethoven.”
Enjoying this newsletter? Consider subscribing to the Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art announced that its partnership with Hyundai Motor Co. will continue until 2037. The union was first cemented in 2015, and the museum said in a news release that it “represents the largest programmatic commitment from a corporate partner in LACMA’s history.” The announcement included two initiatives “that will define the next chapter” of collaboration. “The first initiative is a new exhibition series under the title ‘Hyundai Project.’ Beginning in 2028, the museum will present a biennial survey of an artist with significant ties to Los Angeles and the Pan Pacific region. The featured artist will also develop a large-scale banner for the exhibition that will be installed on the exterior of the Broad Contemporary Art Museum (BCAM). Secondly, with Hyundai Motor’s renewed support, LACMA will expand the scope, visibility, and impact of the Art + Technology Lab,” the release noted.
What happens in Bridgerton Season 4’s post-credits scene? – The Mirror
Need to know
Some Netflix fans have been left scratching their heads after realising they missed one of Bridgerton’s biggest Season 4 plot points
The post-credits scene offers an update on Benedict’s unfinished Lady in Silver portrait(Image: Netflix)
Everything to know about Bridgerton Season 4’s post-credits scene including wedding
Bridgerton fans have been left utterly baffled after discovering they missed a crucial wedding scene hidden in the Season 4 finale. Some viewers believed the story ended with Benedict and Sophie dancing after their engagement at the same spot they first kissed during the masquerade ball, while others who stuck around until after the credits saw the duo getting married.
So what exactly happens during the scene? The post-credits scene shows Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie Baek actually tying the knot, with many viewers completely unaware it existed.
It features Benedict waiting at the altar alongside his brother Lord Anthony, who tells him: “Never listen to me again,” as he references his previous advice to end things with Sophie. The wedding is attended by guests from all walks of life – not just high society – who are smiling as they watch Sophie walk down the aisle.
As the ceremony unfolds, the camera pans away from the action to reveal Benedict’s completed portrait of the Lady in Silver hung up on the wall. This time, the painting has Sophie’s face finally added.
Confused fans took to social media after seeing clips circulating online. One penned: “Wait what I never saw the wedding??? I’m so confused??” Another viewer admitted: “I had to go back and search for it today because I kept seeing screenshots from it.”
PINKPANTHERESS has become the first woman and the youngest ever artist to be named the BRIT Awards’ 2026Producer of the Year.
The 24-year-old is also nominated for two further awards; Artist of the Year and Dance Act, which will be revealed tomorrow.
Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter
Thank you!
PinkPantheress was recently named the BRIT Awards’ 2026 Producer of the YearCredit: GettyShe has become the first woman and the youngest ever artist to win the awardCredit: GettyThe 24-year-old has also been nominated for Artist of the Year and Dance ActCredit: AP
Who is PinkPantheress?
PinkPantheress, real name Victoria Beverley Walker, is a British singer-songwriter and record producer.
Known for herunique, instantly recognisable music style that has been dubbed “New Nostalgia”, the artist has picked up multiple awards for her music.
She was namedProducer of the YearbyBillboardWomen in Musicin 2024, whilst earning nominations for fiveBrit Awards and twoGrammy Awards.
Her BRITs Producer of the Year nomination turned win marked her as just the second solo female musician to ever even be nominated for the award.
With the previous nominee being Kate Bush in 1990.
PinkPantheress burst onto the scene in late 2021 with the release of her first mixtape ‘To Hell with It’.
The mixtape contained singles “Just for Me” and “Pain“, which both peaked in the top 40 of theUK Singles Chart, winning her BBC‘sSound of 2022poll.
One year later she released her hit single “Boy’s a Liar” which reached number two in the UK.
Her TikTok viral tune “Illegal” was released in 2025 as part of her second mixtape,Fancy That, which earned two Grammy nominations and reached number three on theUK Albums Chart.
Pink is known for her unique, instantly recognisable music styleCredit: AFP
What did she win a Brit Award for?
Last year,PinkPantheressshared the mixtapeFancy Thatand its companion remix project,Fancy Some More?
Featuring songs like “Stateside” and “Illegal”, Fancy That consists of nine songs with a duration of 20 minutes.
Described by PinkPantheress herself as the “most tied together project” of her career, the mixtape quickly reached number three in the UK after its release.
Featuring artists like Zara Larsson, Anitta and Ravyn Lanae, remix album Fancy Some More? was released on October 10, 2025 throughWarner Records, consisting of 31 songs.
Stacey Tang, 2026 BRIT Awards Committee chair and co-president of RCA Records UK, said: “PinkPantheress is both an inventive and instinctive voice in British pop right now.
“As a producer, she’s precise and playful, building bold, boundary expanding sounds that travel beyond the UK.
“She’s quietly reshaping what modern pop can be, and in doing so, opening the door for a new wave of female producers to step forward. Celebrating her at the BRITs is both timely and significant.”
That the “The Napa Boys” won’t be everyone’s cup of tea — or in this case, goblet of wine — almost feels like this meta comedy’s raison d’être. And to say its fusillade of jokes is hit-and-miss would also be a charitable take. They’re mostly miss, even if that, too, can seem like kind of the point.
Co-writers and co-stars Nick Corirossi and Armen Weitzman (Corirossi also directed) have assembled a series of scenes in search of a story, sending up pivotal moments from a hodgepodge of movies, some real (“Sideways,” “American Pie,” “The Lord of the Rings”), some invented. I’ll admit, it took a minute to understand what the filmmakers were doing (their grandiose statement in the movie’s press kit is purposely unenlightening) and, thus, for this grab bag of nonsense to sink in.
Still, once you realize what the heck it is you’re watching, you might just settle in for a more diverting — or less terrible — time than first expected. But the lower your entertainment bar, the better.
The barely-there plot finds a group of pals and wine aficionados, a.k.a. the Napa Boys, gathering in the California valley (Malibu subbed) for a screwball adventure that, among much else, will involve a coveted wine competition at something called the Great Grape Festival.
The hapless group includes its leader, the crassly horny Jack Jr. (Corirossi), sad-sack widower Miles Jr. (Weitzman), conflicted family man Kevin (Nelson Franklin), underdog vintner Mitch (Mike Mitchell) and a kinder, newer member known only — in an all-caps nod to “American Pie” — as Stifler’s Brother (Jamar Neighbors). Meanwhile, a devotee and “investigative podcaster,” Puck (Sarah Ramos), also joins the guys on their wayward journey.
The film’s goofy conceit is that this is the fourth installment of a Napa Boys movie series (based on nonexistent graphic novels), with the official on-screen title of “The Napa Boys 4: The Sommelier’s Amulet” (Dig that “Indiana Jones”-style font.) As a result, it unfolds as if the viewer is already intimate with a franchise’s culture and lore, dropping us smack into the thick of things with little, if any, context. Confused yet?
This ploy hands Corirossi (a former head creative at Funny or Die) and Weitzman a license to be as slapdash and surface as possible, which, it would seem, is also part of the picture’s wobbly in-joke. Because this alt comedy makes no bones about its characters or situations being even remotely logical or realistic, anything goes — and does. You sometimes wish it didn’t.
Case in point: After a meds mix-up, unruly Jack Jr. (he and Miles Jr. are always addressed with the suffix) unleashes his explosive diarrhea into a barrel of contest-qualifying wine, after which he “spontaneously” ejaculates into it. And then, natch, the judges must sample the concoction. It’s an awful, protracted sequence that begs the question, satire or not, is this truly the funniest bit they could hatch? (To be fair, it’s likely some viewers will, uh, eat it up.)
That aside, the film’s barrage of scenes, sketches, shout-outs and absurdist scenarios leading up to the climactic wine-making championship are largely harmless flights of farce. These involve sex, love, death, near-death, maybe incest, lots of wine tasting (why is the vino here iced-tea brown?) and a moose on the loose.
There are also rides in Jack Jr.’s showy “Wine Wagon” SUV (license plate: IH8MERLOT), beatific montages backed by swelling strings celebrating the “joys” of Napa Boys life (“To be a Napa Boy is to be free!”) and a surprise — and rather pointless — cameo by those other movie “brainiacs,” Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith). There’s also an anxious visit to Jack Jr.’s onetime hookup, the now-elderly sexpert called the Milfonator (Eve Sigall). Oh, and is that really iconic filmmaker and vintner Francis Ford Coppola as the wine competition’s “super-secret celebrity guest judge”? (Two guesses.)
All this inanity takes place over the course of a handful of days, during which no one ever seems to change clothes. Couldn’t Jack Jr. have packed at least two Hawaiian shirts?
And what of the title’s elusive sommelier (DJ Qualls of “Road Trip” fame) and his mystical green amulet? He makes an almost tacked-on, Yoda-like appearance, but it’s too little, too late.
The game if uneven cast includes Paul Rust (channeling Paul Reubens, with whom he co-wrote 2016’s “Pee-wee’s Big Holiday”) as Squirm, Mitch’s insufferably cruel wine-making rival; David Wain (who directed and co-wrote “Wet Hot American Summer,” another spoofy touchstone here) as the wine contest’s even-handed host; and playing the guys’ various love interests: Chloe Cherry, Vanessa Chester, Riki Lindhome and Beth Dover.
Reportedly shot in under 10 days, the film features such fun needle drops as the Supremes’ “You Can’t Hurry Love,” Gerry Rafferty’s “Family Tree” and, of all things to accompany a seduction scene, “The Girls of Rock ‘n’ Roll” sung by Alvin and the Chipmunks and the Chipettes. How this proudly low-budget effort managed to license those tunes is as curious as so much else in this ragtag oddity.
Simon Cowell, who was known for his brutal takedowns of fame-hungry hopefuls, is ‘back’ according to Britain’s Got Talent co-star Amanda Holden, who says his toned-down persona is gone
Amanda Holden says ‘the old Simon Cowell is back’ as BGT judge ditches ‘Mr Soft act’(Image: Netflix)
Amanda Holden believes her Britain’s Got Talent co-star Simon Cowell is back to his former, more straight-talking self, having ditched his “Mr Soft” act. As the ITV talent hunt gets underway, Amanda is glad to see the return of Simon’s infamous “one liners”, on the “chaotic” new series.
The new series, which began on 21st February, has already frustrated viewers at home. During the first episode fans were getting worked up over the ‘overuse’ of the infamous golden buzzer. As Ant and Dec reminded viewers at the start of the show, the golden buzzer is used when one of the judges deemed a contestant good enough to bypass the rest of the auditions and go straight through to the semi-final.
But while fans were already complaining, Amanda Holden has promised this series will be full of drama. As reported by the Mail, she explained: “Simon is back. He’s been Mr Soft in recent years, and I think it has a lot to do with the fact that KSI is so honest on the other end of the panel.”
Explaining he is done with ‘sugar coating’ his comments, she added: “I’m glad to see that Simon is no longer being soft serve ice-cream, although it was nice for a year or so!”
Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source.Click here to activateor add us as your Preferred Source in your Google search settings.
Amanda says the new series “feels very loose and very chaotic”, with KSI helping the show thanks to his “succint” answers. Meanwhile “the old Simon” is back, with the Heart Radio host saying she is “loving” that Simon’s “one liners are better than ever”.
Simon has assured fans there will be “lots of surprises”, with more behind-the-scenes filming, letting the audience at home “behind the Wizard of Oz’s curtain”. But Amanda has recently admitted he “hated” one aspect of filming the new series.
The star was forced to step into head judge Simon’s role, after he had to miss filming after falling down some steps and hitting his head. The brief shake up saw Amanda thrust into head judge duties, with X Factor runner up Stacey Solomon joining the panel as a guest.
As reported by the Daily Star, Amanda explained: “I must admit I hated sitting in that seat! I’ve been on the show the longest, so I understand why I probably need to sit in that seat, but when I was there, I felt very outcast on the end.
“It’s okay if your team are sat to the left of you, Simon’s got dozens of staff and family watching from the side and communicating with him. Mine all decided to eat my snacks and sit in the dressing room paying no attention to the show or me whatsoever!
“Simon said to me, ‘You must have loved it. Did you feel powerful?’ I said I hated it because I had to keep leaning in to be part of the conversation. I never want to sit in that seat again! I’m juicy in the middle, it’s such a good spot.”
Elsewhere, talking about Stacey joining the judging panel, Amanda said: “She’s so lovely and I think we’ve got quite a similar style of judging.
“She’s warm, she’s super funny, she has a great understanding of what it’s like to be on the other side, because she obviously auditioned for The X Factor all those years ago.
“Even though she’s smashing it in the real world now, she’s very down to earth and doesn’t have an ego, so I think that worked really nicely for the day that she was pulled in. We’re all fans of her and her crafting is through the roof. If only I could be that type of mother!”
LOTTIE Moss has revealed she’s in hospital for the second time this week, leaving fans worried.
The model, 28, who is the half-sister to Kate Moss, first revealed earlier this week that she was in hospital and shared a picture of her food in a medical boot.
Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter
Thank you!
Lottie Moss has revealed she is back in hospital for the second time in just one weekCredit: Instagram/lottiemossxoThe star was joined by her new boyfriend Themy Kalaitzis as they waited in A&ECredit: Instagram/lottiemossxoIt comes just days after she was in hospital with a medical boot onCredit: Instagram/lottiemossxo
However, she didn’t reveal what had happened to it.
Now, Lottie has taken to her Instagram Stories to reveal she’s back in A&E just days later.
Recording herself in the waiting area with boyfriend Themy Kalaitzis, Lottie had her hair bundled into a messy ponytail and a grey jumper on.
“Saturday dates,” art advisor Themy said to the camera, as Lottie laughed.
She said: “I lost a lot of friends from the modelling industry.
“My mum didn’t speak to me for weeks and my family was a little bit in turmoil over it.”
Seeing the funny side, Lottie laughed as Themy joked the trip was a good “Saturday date”Credit: Instagram/lottiemossxoLottie is yet to share the reason for her trip, with fans left worriedCredit: Instagram/lottiemossxo
THE BRIT Awards are back again tonight, and music fans will be excited to see if they are any shocking moments on the show.
While theaward ceremonycelebrates musical talent, the event hosted by Jack Whitehall, is also infamous for being host to an array of wild celebrity moments.
Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter
Thank you!
As we gear up for the likes of global hitmaker Alex Warren, pop legend Harry Styles and KPop Demon Hunters to take the stage this evening, we take a look back at the wildest moments that took place at the Brits over the years.
Danny Dyer shocked viewers as he dropped the c-word (2025)
Danny dropped the c-word on live TV and shocked viewersCredit: ITV
EastEnders legend Danny, 48, was chatting with host Jack Whitehall, 37, when he made the X-rated blunder, forcing producers to mute the audio.
The actor was discussing his new film Marching Powder when he struggled to find the right words to describe it without getting himself into trouble.
“It’s basically Bridget Jones, but with the word c**t,” he quipped, leaving Jack scrambling to remind him, “Danny, like when I said say anything, not bad words, obviously.”
Producers silenced some of his comments, swiftly cutting to an ad break before things got even worse.
Lewis Capaldi’s sweary speech (2021)
Lewis Capaldi’s speech had to be muted due to excessive swearingCredit: Getty
The singer, 29, appeared at the O2 to present the award for British Album of the Year.
However his speech had to be muted due to the amount of swear words he used.
Lewis said to the audience: “Hello motherf***ers! Listen guys… I’m f***ing sweating – it’s like a swamp down there, I’m telling you. Sweaty b****cks.”
He added: “It’s been a great year for albums….
“Most of all because I haven’t f***ing released one!”
The award was given to Dua Lipa for her album ‘Future Nostalgia’.
Jack Whitehall and Little Mix (2019, 2021)
Jack Whitehall has had a few awkward moments with Little MixCredit: Rex Features
Leigh-Anne and Perrie proudly showed off their growing baby bumps, to which Jack said: “The next question on my card is, “What do you do to pass the time in lockdown?”
“He went there, he actually went there,” Leigh-Anne joked back.
Madonna’s cape fail (2015)
Madonna fell as she performed on stage for the BRIT Awards in 2015 at The O2 ArenaCredit: Getty – Contributor
Madonna took a tumble down a flight of stairs at the 2015 awards, she later blamed the fall on the design of the cape she had been wearing.
But the cape’s designer, Giorgio Armani claimed that the cape was originally designed with a hook – but Madonna has requested a tie.
He said: “Madonna, as we all know, is very difficult. That’s all there was to it.”
Liam Gallagher vs. Peter Kay (2010)
Liam Gallagher made a surprise appearance when he collected the award for best BRIT’s Album of 30 YearsCredit: PA:Press Association
At the 2010 ceremony, the Oasis frontman made a surprise appearance to accept his award for Best Brits album of the past 30 years – but then went on to give a rambling and foul-mouthed acceptance speech.
Liam then threw his microphone into the crowd, causing a 10 minute delay.
Host comedian Peter Kay eventually got back on stage where he referred to the Oasis member’s actions by saying: “What a k***head.”
Brian McFadden vs. So Solid Crew (2002)
Brian reportedly threw a bottle of water over another band backstageCredit: PA:Press Association
This may not be on of Brian’s best thought out moments, but reportedly the then-Westlife singer threw a bottle of water over all 24 members of So Solid Crew backstage at the 2002 awards.
Apparently, he’d consumed two bottles of vodka and eight cans of Red Bull before he decided it was a good idea.
We don’t think either of the band’s would have been happy about that.
Robbie Williams vs. Liam Gallagher (2000)
Robbie Williams offered Liam Gallagher a fight during his speechCredit: Alamy
Who could forget the time that Robbie used his acceptance speech to offer Oasis singer Liam Gallagher a fight?
Robbie said: “So, anybody like to see me fight Liam?
“Would you pay to come and see it? Liam, a hundred grand of your money and a hundred grand of my money.
“We’ll get in a ring and we’ll have a fight and you can all watch it on TV, what d’you think about that?”
Robbie was quickly escorted away from the stage.
Ronnie Wood and Brandon Block (2000)
Ronnie Wood threw a drink into dance DJ Brandon Block’s faceCredit: Richard Pohle – The Times
In one of the most awkward moments in the history of the Brits, dance DJ Brandon Block was so drunk that when his friends joked that he had won an award he staggered onto stage to accept it – interrupting rock legend Ronnie Wood’s speech.
Brandon was pulled back but broke free from security and squared up to the Rolling Stone’s rocker.
Ronnie then retaliated by throwing a drink in his face.
After Nexstar Media Group announced layoffs at KTLA-TV this week, some viewers have expressed shock and dismay over losing several longtime local broadcast journalists at the station.
The cuts included KTLA weatherman Mark Kriski, weathercaster Kacey Montoya, midday anchors Lu Parker and Glen Walker and reporter Ellina Abovian. The layoffs come as Nexstar attempts to cut costs and pursues a merger with rival media company Tegna.
Abovian, who was a general assignment reporter at the station, reflected on the layoffs on social media, saying in a video posted to Threads on Thursday that she was “blindsided,” and that the cuts were “part of corporate restructuring.”
“Corporate layoffs are a part of life and this is just the game of life. They’re impacting people across multiple industries right now, so I’m not the only one, and my situation certainly isn’t unique,” said Abovian, who worked at the station for more than a decade. “But it’s hard to process, considering how it happened.”
Some viewers and fellow journalists have also expressed their disappointment.
CNN anchor Elex Michaelson responded on X, writing, “Mark Kriski is an L.A. broadcasting icon. As a kid, the OG KTLA Morning News crew (Carlos, Barbara, Mark, Sam, Eric, Gayle, etc) inspired me to want to be a journalist. I have great respect for Glen, Lu, Kacey, and Elina as well … all great people … and talented broadcasters.”
Each of the laid-off journalists had been with the station for a number of years. Kriski had been with KTLA since 1991, and Walker sat at the station’s anchor desk since 2010. Parker joined KTLA in 2005.
KTLA morning news anchor Frank Buckley addressed the situation before continuing with the broadcast Thursday.
“As you probably know, we are extremely limited in what we can say,” Buckley said. “But if you are a regular viewer of this program and of this TV station, you also know that we are a family here. We consider you to be part of that family. And when family members experience tough times, we all feel it. So this is a difficult time for us. And we will go through it together.”
SAG-AFTRA, which represents the laid-off journalists, issued a release on Wednesday condemning the cuts. The guild disclosed that it is “actively bargaining with Nexstar stations in multiple markets.” It accused Nexstar of pushing “to gut severance pay and insert onerous provisions into the union contract that limit workers’ ability to freely negotiate the terms of their own employment.”
“By laying off journalists across the country, Nexstar is eroding the resources and talent that local communities rely on for trusted news,” said SAG-AFTRA’s President Sean Astin in the release. “These actions highlight the risks of media consolidation and underscore the urgent need for regulators and the company to prioritize the public interest and the professionals who serve it.”
Nexstar operates 201 stations in 116 local markets in the U.S., reaching 70% of American households. It is the largest TV station ownership group in the U.S. Tegna owns television stations in 51 U.S. markets. Following the pending $6.2-billion merger, the standing company will have 265 stations, representing 80% of U.S. TV households.
President Trump has expressed his support for the deal in a social media post earlier this month.
He wrote, “Letting Good Deals get done like Nexstar – Tegna will help knock out the Fake News because there will be more competition, and at a higher and more sophisticated level. Those that are opposed don’t fully understand how good the concept of this Deal is for them, but they will in the future.”
A bartender who worked at Soho House’s exclusive Soho Warehouse in downtown Los Angeles is alleging a supervisor at the posh membership club and hotel drugged and raped her, according to a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday.
The woman, who filed as Jane Doe, said in her complaint that she was “subjected to repeated sexual advances and unwelcomed physical touching” by one of her supervisors, Leonard Marcelo Vichique Maya, immediately after she began working as a bartender at Berenjak, the club’s restaurant, in September 2025.
Doe is suing Vichique Maya, Soho House, Soho House Los Angeles and Soho Warehouse for sexual harassment, retaliation and other claims..
“This is as egregious an instance of callous corporate indifference to workplace sexual violence that anyone can experience,” said her attorney Nick Yasman of Los Angeles-based West Coast Trial Lawyers in a statement.
Representatives for Soho House and Vichique Maya were not immediately available for comment.
Doe has further alleged that Vichique Maya made “numerous comments” about her appearance, propositioned her to be his “hook-up buddy” and told her that she “would be pregnant by now” had they met earlier, all within earshot of her supervisors and colleagues.
After two weeks on the job, Doe said that she reported Vichique Maya’s conduct to two male supervisors, including Soho House’s floor manager and food and beverage director, states the complaint, but “neither took any semblance of corrective or investigatory action.”
According to the suit, Doe claims that despite “his pattern of harassing behavior and complaints,” the company, did not address his alleged misconduct. ”
She claims his behavior escalated after a “team-bonding” work event on Sept. 13, where Doe said she became disoriented after drinking with supervisors and co-workers, eventually losing consciousness, and woke up naked in Vichique Maya’s apartment.
“Paralyzed and speechless despite her consciousness slowly returning, Plaintiff was condemned to simply watch in horror as [sic] MARCELO repeatedly raped her inanimate body,” states the suit.
The next day, Doe said that she reported to her floor manager that Vichique Maya had “sexually assaulted her.”
She said her general manager “confirmed” that he “appeared to be preying” on her during the work event, telling her that “These things happen between coworkers.”
When she proclaimed that she could no longer work with Vichique Maya,” she said the general manager dismissed her concerns telling her: “I have a restaurant to run; I can’t have it blow up on me.”
Despite informing three managers that she was “raped,” Doe said she was continuously scheduled to work shifts with Vichique Maya during which he repeatedly sexually harassed her.
In December, Doe filed a complaint with Soho House human resources, and she was assured that an investigation would be opened and “immediate corrective action” taken.
However, during the investigation, Doe said that she was placed on indefinite leave while Vichique Maya continued working. A month later, she was informed the company had completed its investigation and found her report of rape “was uncorroborated” and he “would not be disciplined.”
In February, the plaintiff said that she was forced to quit her job.
One of the first, exclusive members-only social clubs, Soho House debuted in London in 1995 and quickly became the bolt-hole of choice for celebrities and the deep-pocketed. It expanded globally with 48 houses in 19 countries.
It drew high-profile investors, including Ron Burkle through his investment fund Yucaipa.
In 2021, the company filed for an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange, but it has faced financial challenges. .
Last year, Soho House went private, selling itself to a group of investors including Apollo Global Management and actor Ashton Kutcher, who also joined its board of directors, at a $2.7-billion valuation.
On Monday, Flav offered “a real celebration” for the women’s team.
“If the USA Women’s Hockey team wants a real celebration and invite ,,, I’ll host them in Las Vegas,” Flav wrote on social media. “Do some nice dinners and shows and good times. I’m sure I can get a hotel and airline to help me out here and celebrate these women for real for real.”
He added: “But I gots to invite my Bobsled + Skeleton team too.”
The idea has only grown bigger.
“Letz go even bigger and better,” Flav wrote Tuesday. “ALL Female US Olympians and Paralympian medalists are invited out to celebrate in Viva Las Vegas for the SHE GOT GAME Weekend ,,, Hit a guy up and LETZ GOOO.”
On Thursday, Flav announced the event would be held July 16 to 19 in partnership with MGM Resorts and the Gist sports media brand.
“I wanna give a special shout out to MGM Resorts,” Flav wrote. “many people offered to help the hockey team,,, but when I said I wanted to include ALL women who earned medals from the winter games + USABS,,, they didn’t hesitate and stepped up to be REAL partners with 100+ rooms.”
He added: “They also offered food and hospitality, spa, ground, event space, after parties, and to host the parade and party for the PUBLIC to celebrate our women for FREE.”
MGM Resorts confirmed Friday that it is hosting the event.
“Planning is underway and details will be shared soon as we get ready to celebrate our incredible USA athletes in a way only MGM Resorts knows how: world-class hospitality, high-energy fun, and memorable experiences,” the company said in a statement emailed to The Times.
Mexican writer-director Michel Franco (“Memory”) explores dynamics of money, class and the border through the spiky, unsettling erotic drama “Dreams,” starring Jessica Chastain and Isaac Hernández, a Mexican ballet dancer and actor.
In the languidly paced movie, Franco presents two individuals in love (or lust?) who experiment with wielding the power at their fingertips against each other. The film examines the push-pull of attraction and rejection on a scope that’s both intimate and global, finding the uneasy space where the two meet.
Chastain stars as Jennifer McCarthy, a wealthy San Francisco philanthropist and socialite who runs a foundation that supports a ballet school in Mexico City. But Franco does not center on her experience, but that of Fernando (Hernández), whom we meet first escaping from the back of a box truck filled with migrants crossing the U.S.–Mexico border. He’s abandoned in San Antonio on a 100-degree day.
His journey is one of extreme survival, but his destination is the lap of luxury: a modernist San Francisco mansion where he makes himself at home and where he’s clearly been before. A talented ballet dancer who has already once been deported, he’s risked everything to be with his lover, Jennifer, though, as a high-profile figure, she’d rather keep her affair with Fernando under wraps. He’s her dirty little secret but he’s also a human being who refuses to be kept in the shadows.
As Jennifer and Fernando attempt to navigate what it looks like for them to be together, it seems that larger forces will shatter their connection. In reality, the only real danger is each other.
The storytelling logic of “Dreams” is predicated on watching these characters move through space, the way we watch dancers do. Franco offers some fascinating parallels to juxtapose the wildly varying experiences of Fernando and Jennifer — he almost dies of thirst and heat stroke; she arrives in Mexico on a private plane, but both enter empty homes alone, melancholy. During a rift in their relationship, Fernando retreats to a motel, drinking red wine out of plastic cups with a friend in his humble room, ignoring Jennifer’s calls, while she eats alone in her darkened dining room, sipping out of crystal.
These comparisons aren’t exactly nuanced but they are stark and, for most of the film, Franco just asks us to watch them move together and apart, in a strange, avoidant pas de deux. Often dwarfed by architecture, their distinctive bodies in space are more important than the sparse dialogue that only serves to fill in crucial gaps in storytelling.
Cinematographer Yves Cape captures it all in crisp, saturated images. The lack of musical score (beyond diegetic music in the ballet scenes) contributes to the dry, flat affect and tone, as these characters enact increasing cruelties — both emotional and physical — upon each other as a means of trying to contain each other, until it escalates into something truly dark and disturbing.
Franco loses the plot of “Dreams” in the third act. What is a rather staid drama about the weight of social expectations on a relationship becomes a dramatically unexpected game of vengeance as Jennifer and Fernando grasp at any power they have over the other. She fetishizes him and he returns the favor, violently.
Ultimately, Franco jettisons his characters for the sake of unearned plot twists that leave the viewer feeling only icky. These events aren’t illuminating and feel instead like a bleak betrayal. The circumstances of the story might be timely, but “Dreams” doesn’t help us understand the situation better, leaving us in the dark about what we’re supposed to take away from this story of sex, violence, money and liberty. Anything it suggests we already know.
Katie Walsh is a Tribune News Service film critic.
MUCH-LOVED Australian actress Lorraine Bayly has died at 89.
The Sullivan’s star died in her Sydney care home on Saturday morning.
Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter
Thank you!
Australian actress Lorraine Bayly has died at 89Credit: Getty
Lorraine’s close friend, journalist Craig Bennett confirmed her death to 2GB on behalf of her family.
She was best known for starring in The Sullivans as Grace and presenting popular children’s show Playschool.
The hit show ran from 1976 to 1983.
After leaving The Sullivans, Lorraine took on a role that had been speficially written for her.
She played solicitor Jennifer Carson in Carson’s Law.
In a heartbreaking social media post, the actresses’ friend Craig called Lorraine a “showbiz legend, a bona fide star of stage and screen, a triple Logie winning TV treasure and beautiful friend to many”.
He noted that the award-winning actress only retired 10 years ago.
BELOVED actor Robert Carradine’s death has been ruled a suicide, as tear-jerking tributes pour in for the late star.
The Lizzie McGuire lead tragically died on Tuesday following a decades-long battle with bipolar disorder.
Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter
Thank you!
Robert Carradine died on Tuesday at the age of 71Credit: GettyRobert played Hilary Duff’s onscreen dad Sam in the Lizzie McGuire seriesCredit: Twitter/Robert CarradineRobert was described as ‘a beacon of light to everyone around him’ by familyCredit: Getty
Citing the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office, Page-Six reported the cause of Carradine’s death was sequelae of an anoxic brain injury resulting from hanging.
Sequelae are conditions resulting from a prior disease, injury, or attack.
Robert’s body has been released to his family.
“It is with profound sadness that we must share that our beloved father, grandfather, uncle, and brother Robert Carradine has passed away,” the family said in statement announcing the heartbreaking news.
“In a world that can feel so dark, Bobby was always a beacon of light to everyone around him.
“We are bereft at the loss of this beautiful soul and want to acknowledge Bobby’s valiant struggle against his nearly two-decade battle with Bipolar Disorder.
“We hope his journey can shine a light and encourage addressing the stigma that attaches to mental illness.”
Older brother and fellow actor Keith Carradine added that the family wished to shed light on Robert’s condition and bring awareness to mental health.
“We want people to know it, and there is no shame in it,” Keith said.
“It is an illness that got the best of him, and I want to celebrate him for his struggle with it, and celebrate his beautiful soul.
“He was profoundly gifted, and we will miss him every day.
“We will take solace in how funny he could be, how wise and utterly accepting and tolerant he was. That’s who my baby brother was.”
Robert got his big break with a role in Revenge of The Nerds in 1984, starring as head nerd, Lewis Skolnick.
The beloved actor battled with bipolar disorder since 2009Credit: GettyRobert with his brother Keith CarradineCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
He went on to find a new generation of fans starring in Disney Channel’s Lizzie McGuire, as Sam McGuire, dad of the title character.
His co-star Hilary Duff released a heartbreaking tribute to the actor, writing that she “always felt so cared for by my on-screen parents”.
She wrote in a tearjerking Instagram post: “This one hurts. It’s really hard to face this reality about an old friend.
“There was so much warmth in the McGuire family and I always felt so cared for by my on-screen parents.
How to get help
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
“I’ll be forever grateful for that. I’m deeply sad to learn Bobby was suffering.
“My heart aches for him, his family, and everyone who loved him.”
Robert’s daughter, Ever Carradine, shared an emotional statement on Instagram, writing that the late actor “was all heart”.
She wrote: “My sweet, funny dad, who’s only 20 years older than I am, who never missed an opportunity to drive me to the airport or tell me how much he loved my homemade salad dressing, is gone.
“Whenever anyone asks me how I turned out so normal, I always tell them it’s because of my dad.
“I knew my dad loved me, I knew it deep in my bones, and I always knew he had my back.”
Ever added: “My dad was a lover, not a fighter. He was all heart, and in a world so full of conflict and division, I think we can all take a page out of his book today, open our hearts and feel and share the love.”
Robert pictured in 1978Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
Robert was born in Los Angeles to actress and artist Sonia Sorel and actor John Carradine.
He began acting as a child star, appearing in The Cowboys with John Wayne in 1972.
The late actor is survived by three children and his brother Keith, who is known for playing Tom Frank in the 1975film Nashville.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.
ROBBIE Williams has finally put his feud with Take That bandmate Gary Barlow to bed with a public apology at his War Child gig tonight.
During the intimate concert at Manchester‘s Aviva Studios, Robbie took a moment to reflect on the recent Take ThatNetflix documentary.
Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter
Thank you!
Robbie Williams apologised to Gary Barlow during his War Child gig tonightCredit: BackGridGary was affected badly by Robbie’s taunts in the late 90sCredit: Getty
He famously quit the band at the height of their fame in 1995 to pursue a solo career, fed-up of playing second fiddle to the pop group’s leader, Gary.
Years of mud-slinging followed, predominantly from Robbie towards his boyband rival which had a severe impact on Gary’s self-esteem.
Though they quashed their feud for a 2010 reunion tour and album, questions still lingered at just how friendly the pair were.
Today, Robbie did his best to make amends for past behaviours and admitted he was out of order at times to Gary (and Howard Donald and Mark Owen).
“Did anybody see the Take That documentary?,” he asked the audience. “I have to say I was a bit of a ‘c***’ in the second episode. I don’t think anybody has seen a man smugger than Robbie Williams in the second episode.
“And you know what, I felt really bad. I felt f***ing horrible about it. I’d been horrible to Gary, horrible to Mark, horrible to Howard and I was genuinely thinking about it for days and days and days and I’d go to bed at night and I was thinking I’ve gotta apologise again.
“But just to clarify, I f**king love Gary Barlow now. And he loved me. There’s only so many times I can apologise now.”
He then segued into his 90s track Ego A Go Go, written about Gary, calling it a “horrible song”.
Its chorus goes: “Ego a go go now you’ve gone solo/Living on a memory/Now you’ve gone stately/And yes you do hate me/Could you offer an apology.”
Listening to his band rehearse the track on a previous date, Robbie said he had a revelation.
“I was sat there thinking hang on no one has ever left a boyband and gone ‘they’re a c, they’re a c except me’. But I’m a c***,” he said.
In the three-part Netflix docuseries, Gary talks about his struggle withbulimia, which started following Take That’s split in 1996 and his rivalry with Robbie.
Taunts from Robbie are replayed during, with footage showing him saying: “My problem always was with Gary, I wanted to crush him.
“I wanted to crush the memory of the band and I didn’t let go. Even when he was down I didn’t let go.”
Speaking at the premiere at Battersea Power Station, Gary admitted it was tough to watch.
He said: “It’s a narrative I haven’t thought about for years and years.
“When we had our reunion we spent a lot of time talking about it and I remember leaving on one particular day and we’d discussed everything. And I remember leaving and my shoulders were light.
“And I’d not thought about it since because I’d not needed to. And it brought it all back. Tricky times, they were.”
As well as the tough times, Take That fans get a front seat to the inner workings of the group’s comeback with Robbie in 2011.
Opening up about healing their old wounds, Robbie said: “I needed Gary to listen to my truth.”
Gary continued: “There were things around people not being supportive of his songwriting and his weight.
“I’d called him Blobby rather than Robbie one day, which I shouldn’t have done.
“Then I hit him with things he had done to me that I didn’t like.
“In about 25 minutes we’d put things to bed that had haunted us for years.”
The Take That boys are on good terms nowCredit: GettyIn the early 90s, Robbie grew frustrated playing second fiddle to GaryCredit: Getty
Death in Paradise detective Mervin Wilson was kidnapped in a cliffhanger after travelling to Antigua to visit his brother Solomon
Has Mervin Wilson been kidnapped?(Image: BBC)
In the latest episode of Death in Paradise, Detective Mervin Wilson (portrayed by Don Gilet) revealed he was taking a temporary leave from Saint Marie.
After cracking another case with his team, Mervin decided to take his colleague Naomi Thomas’s (played by Shantol Jackson) advice and travel to Antigua to visit his brother, Solomon (Daniel Ward).
Mervin’s relationship with his brother got off on the wrong foot when Solomon raided his shack and nicked his belongings. Following this incident, Solomon returned to Antigua, leaving Mervin uncertain if they would ever cross paths again.
However, towards the end of Friday’s episode, Mervin informed Naomi that he wouldn’t be at work the next day as he was heading for Antigua.
“DS Thomas, I am just letting you know I won’t be coming in tomorrow,” Mervin announced over the phone, reports the Express.
For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website.
“I am actually taking your advice as it goes, I am going to see Sol. Yeah, well, I mean, I don’t even know if he wants to see me, but hey, what is the worst that could happen?”
Immediately after, Naomi rushed to inform her colleagues, expressing worry about the detective.
“Sir,” Naomi said urgently, to which the Commissioner (Don Warrington) responded, “DS Thomas, what is it?”
“I think something has happened to the inspector,” she added.
The episode ended on a cliffhanger, with Mervin bound and kidnapped by an unknown assailant – but who could be responsible?
“What the hell is going on?” The detective demanded as he attempted to escape.
As he glanced up, it seemed Mervin recognised who his abductor was as he raged, “You!”
Death in Paradise is available to stream on BBCiPlayer.
Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source.** Click here to activate**** or add us as your Preferred Source in your Google search settings.**
Emmerdale viewers were left “devastated” after things got worse for Bear Wolf on Friday night’s episode of the ITV soap after everything the fan favourite has already been through
Things got worse for Bear Wolf on Friday’s edition of Emmerdael
Emmerdale fans were left “devastated” after things got worse for Bear Wolf on Friday night’s episode of the ITV soap. The former professional wrestler, who has been played by Joshua Richards since 2019, has been through the mill in recent months, having become a victim of modern slavery at the hands of evil Celia Daniels and Ray Walters on their farm.
In January, as part of a major flashback week, it was revealed that Bear had killed Ray following his imprisonment and after being released on bail, he has been struggling with his guilt ever since, struggling to sleep and turning to alcohol to cope.
On the latest episode of the Yorkshire-based serial, Bear tried to obtain painkillers from GP Manpreet Sharma but she refused to give him them, aware that he had been given opium whilst in slavery and therefor unable to have any. Turning to drink, an angry Bear injured himself when he punched a mirror and took himself off to hospital.
Once there, he begged Jacob Gallagher (Joe Warren-Plant) to prescribe him painkillers, but he reminded him that as a student doctor, he would not be able to, although he did help him with his cut hand. Not being able to get painkillers enraged bear, and he grabbed the young medic and held him in the same wrestling pose he used to strangle Ray to death.
Jacob kicked a trolley and the loud noise startled Bear so much that he came to his senses and stopped the attack, but it was then that Bear’s son Paddy (Dominic Brunt) arrived, along with his wife Mandy (Lisa Riley), and told him that the police were on their way to take action. Following the ordeal, Doctor Todd (Caroline Harker) cornered Jacob and demanded an explanation as to how the student doctor had ended up in that position to begin with.
She raged: “You didn’t think at all. In fact, for a supposedly intelligent young man, you really are remarkably stupid. You cannot let personal relationships affect patient care.
“You seem to think the fact that you know someone means you can ignore all our protocols. But if you carry on behaving so irresponsibly in my department, I will have you removed from the course!” She later changed her tune, and sent Jacob off to the canteen to get a coffee and recharge. But it had all proven too much for him, as he took himself off to the toilet, looked in the mirror and cried.
Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activateor add us as your Preferred Source in your Google search settings
In the final moments of the episode, Paddy and Mandy wondered where Bear had gone as he was nowhere to be found, and no one had seen him either. Already worried about his father, who was missing for months before being discovered within the slave ring, Paddy began to panic as he realised he didn’t have his phone with him and had likely wandered off into the night. Sure enough, in the final shot of the episode, Bear was seen wandering through the city.
Fans instantly took to social media to react to the sad twist, with one writing on X: “An appreciation tweet for the fantastic Joshua Richards! Seeing Bear’s gradual decline in his mental health since Ray’s death has been devastating to watch. I hope this storyline leads to Bear being sectioned and getting the help he needs.”
Another said: “Bear walking through the streets alone[crying emoji] This reminds me of April’s life on the streets episode from last year,” whilst a third wrote: “The way that nurse speaks to Jacob is vile! [angry face emoji] Bear is mentally unwell and Jacob was only trying to help him.”
Gogglebox aired a gruesome moment on Friday’s episode as they aired scenes from Alice Roberts: Our Hospital Through Time
Gogglebox aired a gruesome moment on Friday’s episode as they aired scenes from Alice Roberts: Our Hospital Through Time(Image: Channel 4)
The Gogglebox cast were left screaming on Friday’s episode after watching a squeamish moment during Alice Roberts: Our Hospital Through Time.
During the latest instalment, the cast members caught up with the latest television shows, which included Alice Roberts: Our Hospital Through Time.
The Channel 5 show sees Professor Alice Roberts explore 900 years of St Bartholomew’s Hospital – Britain’s oldest on its original site. From medieval miracle cures to modern cardiac and cancer care, Professor Roberts explores all that is on offer.
During the latest episode on Wednesday night, Professor Roberts recreated a grisly 17th-century operation on a ‘patient’ suffering from an enormous bladder stone. The scenes were aired on Friday’s Gogglebox with the cast members reacting to the squeamish moment.
After showing real bladder stones from over the years, which left the Gogglebox cast floored over the size, Professor Roberts then got stuck into a 17th-century operation on a dummy model to extract a bladder stone.
It was explained on the show that bladder stones can grow if patients don’t drink enough water to which Gogglebox’s panicked Lee Riley told Jenny Newby: “I don’t drink enough water, you know!”
The show then explained that back in the 17th-century it was “too dangerous” to operate from the top as it was too near the bowels so instead they would operate from underneath, going through the “root of the penis and prostate” with no anaesthetic. Professor Roberts then conducted this precise operation on a dummy model.
Responding to the scenes, Gogglebox’s Giles Wood exclaimed: “I think I’d rather call it a day, wouldn’t you?” before covering his eyes, adding: “Has it finished yet Mary?”
Meanwhile, Lee also had to look away exclaiming: “Can you imagine?” to which Jenny quipped: “I’m glad you’re suffering for a change!”
For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website.
Viewers were also left squeamish over the scenes as they took to Twitter, now X, to share their thoughts. One person said: “I have no words ! #Gogglebox” while a different account added: “I’m having to cover my ears for this bit ! #Gogglebox.”
A different viewer joked: “If that wasn’t a great advert for drinking more water, I don’t know what is. #GoggleBox#Stones” while another wrote: “From now on I’m going to be drinking gallons of water daily. #Gogglebox!”
Gogglebox continues on Fridays at 9pm on Channel 4.
Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source.** Click here to activate**** or add us as your Preferred Source in your Google search settings.**
The huge music star was seen jamming at a local boozerHe appeared as part of a cover bandCredit: TikTok/christopher.g29The star in question is Sam Fender who appeared with his musician brother and dad on stageCredit: TikTok/christopher.g29
Sam Fender has had three Brit Awards and his albums Hypersonic Missiles and Seventeen Going Under also topped UK charts.
But the Geordie star took to covering other people’s songs as he got together with his family in a social club.
A fan took to TikTok and posted a video of the star performing and captioned it: “Rare .. Sam Fender playing and singing with his dad and brother on keyboard.
“All for a good cause #teamjanine raising awareness for MND . Real canny lads!”
The award-winning singer took part in the event to raise funds for MND in memory of the late Janine Turnbull, joining his dad and brother on stage as part of band The Pirates.
In another video shared of the same event, fans rushed to the comments section to praise the star: “The vocals are absolutely insane, fair play.”
A second said: “They’re a talented bunch those Fenders.”
While a third wrote: “I love how humble Sam is and doing this.”
A fourth stated: “Was great that he was able to do that and just be Sam local lad again.”
He’s built formidable music connections from a collaboration with rising US star Noah Kahan to supportingBruce Springsteenand The Killers and hanging out with the late guitar virtuosoJeff Beck. and Johnny Deppwhen the actor was in the North East with his Hollywood Vampires band.
Sam was not fancied by the bookies, so his victory was something of a shock, and the crowd went ballistic at his name.
The Geordie name-checked fellow nominees during his acceptance speech and thanked an ecstatic crowd.
He said: “We did not expect this at all. I want to say thank you,” before declaring: “This region is the best region in the country.”
Sam then grabbed his guitar and launched into a rendition of his album’s titular track, People Watching.
He also paid tribute to the late actress Annie Orwin, the inspiration behind the song, who he described as like a “surrogate mother”.
Sam added that his win on home turf was “really, really important” because the music scene in Newcastle had “always been in an isolated bubble”.
Last year, Sam hoped to toast his global success with his own range of booze.
The star had been granted permission by the UK’s Intellectual Property Office to use his name to sell a range of goods.
The documents revealed he could market “Beers, Alcoholic beverages, and Non-alcoholic beverages; Retail services connected to the sale of Beers, Alcoholic beverages, Non-alcoholic beverages, Mineral and aerated waters, Fruit beverages and fruit juices.”
The application stays in place for ten years now that it has been rubber-stamped.
Sam has earned a legion of fans for his vocal abilityCredit: Getty
Erica Mahinay, showing with Make Room Gallery at Frieze L.A.
Some art shows are not just about the art. At Frieze L.A., it’s also about seeing — and being seen.
On Thursday morning, over 100 artists, gallerists and collectors representing 24 countries wafted into the maze that is Frieze at the Santa Monica Airport and transformed the space into a winding runway. The dress code was eclectic and appropriately L.A.: hyper-curated and nonchalant. Archival Mugler was paired with reconstructed relaxed denim. Silk pajama pants slouched over Wales Bonner loafers. And much like the works on display, attendees dared to be visually undefinable.
This year, the four-day frenzy is expected to draw about 30,000 attendees to exhibitions both in and outside the tent, including public installations from Frieze Projects’ “Body & Soul,” and the Focus section curated by Essence Harden, which spotlights young and lesser-known artists.
Storm Ascher, left, founder of Superstition Gallery and Greg Ito pictured with his solo booth, “A Cautionary Tale,” in the Focus Section curated by Essence Harden.
Undeniably, the art this year is a product of now. Outside, Patrick Martinez welcomes guests with neon quotes supporting immigrant rights. Across the tent, in a display of performance art, Amanda Ross-Ho continuously pushes a giant, inflatable Earth around a soccer field, symbolic of “the labor it takes to just keep things going all the time.” Walking around the fair, a shared sentiment of post-fire rejuvenation, cultural collaboration and a pride for the Los Angeles community was deeply felt.
Angeleno and artist Sharif Farrag said he’s “excited to show in the city [he] grew up in.” His ceramic collection “Hybrid Moments” with Jeffrey Deitch is a cultural analogy for his childhood. “I hope my work can reflect the times we’re in through a lens of color,” he said, “and the flora and fauna of L.A.”
Nicole Reber, an L.A.-based real estate agent, was giving “’90s sparkle princess,” coupling a pair of Chanel loafers with a vintage Escada jacket that’s “highly underrated.” She came to Frieze to scope out the next addition to her home. “There’s something valuable about living and collecting art,” she said. “It’s a chance to live with somebody else’s energy.”
Dr. Joy Simmons wore a calf-length button-down by South African designer Thebe Magugu. Collecting art, like clothes, is her way of exploring the diaspora. “I just want to find something that’s different,” she said. “[African American artists] bring a different kind of color palette and excitement to the art world.”
Sharon Coplan Hurowitz came to Frieze with her “support animal, ‘Hector.’” The pebble grain Thom Browne shoulder bag, though, was no size comparison to the 10-foot John Baldessari sculpture she stood in front of. Coplan, who recently authored a catalog of Baldessari’s notable art, is excited to see support for his archival works.
Nevine Mahmoud sculpture at Sebastian Gladstone Gallery
Sebastian Gladstone, owner of namesake New York and L.A. galleries, said he loves the L.A. art community because it brings together “people that would never mix otherwise.” If he could describe “good” art in a sentence, it would be: “an alchemy where there’s a mystery of its creation, and how it makes you feel.”
Kibum Kim, partner at the Commonwealth and Council gallery
rafa esparza at Commonwealth and Council booth
Kibum Kim, a partner at the Commonwealth and Council gallery, said sifting through Frieze is like making “Sophie’s choice.” He wore a jacket from Jakarta-based brand Tanah le Saé, adorned with mixed-matched buttons. In a similar spirit of upcycling, his exhibition shows Rose Salane’s newest project from Pompeii featuring rocks and other ephemera taken from the historic site.
William Escalera, left, and Francisco George
Francisco George, a longtime art collector and docent at LACMA, is a Frieze regular. To him, good art “grabs your attention and keeps it. It communicates.” He visits the fair with his husband, William Escalera, who this year is looking for art that incorporates textiles. “It’s different,” he said.
Gallerist Susanne Vielmetter
Gallerist Susanne Vielmetter layered an Issey Miyake Pleats Please dress with a skirt from J.Crew underneath. At Frieze, she never knows whether it’s going to be cold or hot in the tent. “It’s an onion look,” she said. Although she is particularly excited to display paintings by Alec Egan, depicting the trauma of the Palisades fire, she is glad that the fair is bustling and joyous. “People are just done with doom and gloom,” she said. “They’re positive, they’re energetic, they want to go back to collecting.”
Shio Kusaka, left, and Jonah Wood
An artwork by Jade Guanaro Kuriki-Olivo, aka Puppies Puppies
Conny Maier wears a Healthy Boy Band tee and MISBHV biker shorts.
As the media industry took stock of Paramount Skydance’s startling acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, one question lingered on the minds of many in the news business and beyond: what will this mean for CNN?
The iconic 24-hour cable news network is among the various Warner Bros. assets that would be scooped up by Paramount in a deal announced Thursday that could transform the media landscape.
Paramount has undergone a swift transformation under Chief Executive David Ellison following his family’s acquisition of the company last summer. These changes reached CBS News almost immediately with the appointment of Bari Weiss, the controversial Free Press co-founder, as its new editor in chief.
Bari Weiss moderated a town hall with Erika Kirk, widow of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
(CBS via Getty Images)
Weiss’ tenure so far has been rocky.
Her decision to pull a “60 Minutes” story about conditions inside an El Salvador prison that housed undocumented Venezuelan migrants from the U.S. received widespread criticism and accusations of political motivation. The network said the story was held for more reporting, and the segment eventually aired.
There was more upheaval last week at the news magazine, when “60 Minutes” correspondent and CNN news anchor Anderson Cooper announced that he’d be leaving to spend more time with his family.
Now, the concern is that similar changes could be in store for CNN, which has long been a target of President Trump’s ire. He has personally called for the ouster of hosts at the network who have questioned his policies.
CNN Worldwide Chief Executive Mark Thompson tried to quell some of those fears, particularly inside his own newsroom.
In an internal memo dated Thursday and obtained by The Times, Thompson urged employees not to “jump to conclusions about the future” and try to concentrate on their work.
“We’re still near the start of what is already an incredibly newsy year at home and abroad,” he wrote in the note. “Let’s continue to focus on delivering the best possible journalism to the millions of people who rely on us all around the world.”
Chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide Mark Thompson and media editor for Semafor, Maxwell Tani, speak onstage.
(Shannon Finney / Getty Images for Semafor)
CNN declined to comment beyond Thompson’s memo.
Ellison has said his vision for a news business is one that is ideologically down the middle.
“We want to build a scaled news service that is basically, fundamentally in the trust business, that is in the truth business, and that speaks to the 70% of Americans that are in the middle,” he said during a Dec. 8 interview on CNBC, shortly after Warner said it had chosen Netflix as the winning bidder for its studios, HBO and HBO Max. “And we believe that by doing so that is for us, kind of doing well, while doing good.”
Ellison demurred when asked whether Trump would embrace him as CNN’s owner, given the president’s past criticisms of the network.
“We’ve had great conversations with the president about this, but … I don’t want to speak for him in any way, shape or form,” he said.
First Amendment scholars have raised concerns about press freedom and free speech rights under the Trump administration, particularly after last month’s arrest of former CNN journalist Don Lemon and the Federal Communications Commission’s pressure on late-night hosts like Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert.
Press freedom groups have long asked questions in other countries about how authoritarian regimes use their power and “oligarchical alliances to belittle, silence, and punish independent journalistic voices, or to steer media ownership toward … a preferred version of the truth,” said RonNell Andersen Jones, a 1st Amendment scholar and distinguished professor in the college of law at the University of Utah, in an email.
“We see them asking at least some of these questions about the U.S. today,” she wrote.
Apprehension about the merger also extends beyond its implications for CNN and the media business.
Lawmakers such as Rep. Laura Friedman (D-Glendale), Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) have raised concerns about how the consolidation of two major Hollywood studios could affect industry jobs and film and television production — which has significantly slowed since the pandemic, the dual writers’ and actors’ strikes in 2023 and corporate cutbacks in spending.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) called the deal an “antitrust disaster” that she feared could raise prices and limit choices for consumers.
“With the cloud of corruption looming over Trump’s Department of Justice, it’ll be up to the American people to speak up and state attorneys general to enforce the law,” she said in a statement.
Already, California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta has said the merger isn’t a “done deal,” adding that he is in communication with other states attorneys general about the issue.
“As the epicenter of the entertainment industry, California has a special interest in protecting competition,” he posted Friday on X.
Ellison addressed some of these concerns in a statement Friday.
“By bringing together these world-class studios, our complementary streaming platforms, and the extraordinary talent behind them, we will create even greater value for audiences, partners and shareholders,” he said. “We couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead.”
Times staff writer Meg James contributed to this report.